Hold Me Close
by Mustard Lady
Summary: Vlad and Mirena comfort their son after Ingeras suffers a terrible nightmare. My first Dracula Untold fanfic. One-shot. Vlad x Mirena


**Hello, everybody! This is my very first Dracula Untold fanfic and I don't own anything.**

 **I never imagined writing anything associated with Dracula ever. I am not a monster/horror fan. But when my sister watched a YouTube interview with Luke Evans in which he talked about the movie, and she told me about the family story in it, I was interested. I started researching it and although I haven't watched the whole movie yet, AND am intimidated by the horror in the film, I really like the family story in it and so does my sister.**

 **I even have Pinterest board about it, Mirena's Heart. The cast is great, the story is awesome, and the acting is incredible! The fascinating movie is so tragic and devastating though! And I love and admire Mirena's character so much! I wish some happiness came out of it for the Tepes family. They didn't deserve any of that! This is a one-shot of a family scene that came to my mind. In this story, I'm making that everything in the movie that happened, did happen...up to the point where the Turks invaded Vlad's home. In this story, Mirena did not die, and Vlad was restored after defeating his enemies, including the great and terrible Mehmed!**

 **I hope to write more DU fanfics, but right now I'm really, really into Beauty and the Beast, mostly based of the new live-action film. Have you seen it yet? We really liked it.**

 **Beauty and the Beast was the first film I ever watched Luke Evans in, and WOW did he do a stupendous job bringing terror, -yes, I will admit laughs-, and just a real darkness to the story's dastardly villain Gaston! After watching the new film for the first time, I wanted to wring Gaston's neck. Then I saw snippets of him as Vlad Tepes after my sister introduced the movie to me and I was struck at the tender, devoted, kind role he played. He is one amazing actor! His versatility reminds me of Basil Rathbone, able to play a dark, horrid villain then turn around to play the hero that everybody loves!**

 **The snippets of lyrics I put in here and the title of this fanfic are based on the song by Ron Hamilton, _Cherish the Moment._ I hope you enjoy this story. Reviews would be appreciated!**

* * *

" _ **...Tuck me in,**_

 _ **Hold me close,**_

 _ **I'm afraid of the dark.**_

 _ **...Come and sit by my bed,**_

 _ **Mommy, rock me to sleep."**_

It must have been long passed midnight. Vlad and Mirena were peacefully sleeping in their royal bed, their arms clasped tightly around each other. Anguished cries of their son echoed through the castle walls. Mirena thought she was dreaming, but then the sharp shrill of their little one screaming hit her ears and she bolted upright in bed. Her sudden jolt from his nightly embrace startled Vlad. "What's wrong?" He asked groggily.

Mirena didn't answer. The yells of torment tugged at her. "It's Ingeras!" She blurted out, throwing her covers off and sliding fast into her slippers. She jumped from the bed and sprang for the door. "Vlad, something's wrong!" She briefly glanced back at her husband before disappearing into the halls.

"I'm coming!" Vlad told her, instantly alert and on his feet. Throwing on his night robe, and slipping his boots on, he raced to his son's bedroom.

* * *

"Ingeras!" Mirena called as she hurried to his room. "Ingeras! I'm coming!" She finally flew through his doorway and rushed as fast as she could to her son's bedside. Through the moonbeams filtering in through the windows, she could see him. He was frantically tossing and turning in his bed, wailing desperately, and his face was ridden with tears. "Ingeras! It's all right. It's Mother. I'm right here." Mirena told him, sitting on the bed and trying to soothe him.

Vlad came in with a candle. He trotted to his son's bed and leaned over him. "Son? It's all right. Wake up! Wake up!" Vlad exclaimed, gently shaking his little boy's shoulders.

"No! NO!" Ingeras screamed. "No, please don't!" Vlad gripped his chin, making him stop wagging his head. Ingeras's eyes shot wide open and he was shaking hard. He was extremely disoriented.

"Ingeras? Son, we're right here." Mirena said softly, touching his arm. "You're at home. You're safe." Ingeras fluttered his eyelids, trying to focus. He looked so afraid.

"P-Papa?" He squeaked.

"Yes. I'm here, son." Vlad said gently, stroking his son's sweaty forehead. He sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing Ingeras's trembling shoulder.

"Oh, Papa!" Ingeras hiccuped. Vlad firmly grasped his quivering little hand in his larger, stronger one. And Mirena took her son's other hand between her own.

"Shh." Mirena shushed quietly. "You were dreaming. It was all a bad dream. But you're safe now." Ingeras sniffled as he looked up at both his parents, their presence filling him with a sense of security.

"Are you all right?" Vlad asked with concern. His little boy looked up at him with pleading in his eyes.

"I...I...I was dreaming." Ingeras stammered timidly, starting to weep again. Vlad tugged him close in his arms. Ingeras clung to him. Mirena scooted closer and rubbed her little boy's back.

"What were you dreaming about?" She asked.

"That I...I was a royal hostage!" Ingeras blurted out. Vlad and Mirena looked at each other in horror. They were both heartbroken that their innocent child had to experience such a horrible night terror, even though it had never actually happened. Vlad tightened his grip on him and kissed the top of his head.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, my love!" Mirena gasped.

"It's all right." Vlad whispered in his son's ear. "That will never happen. Your mother and I are here. Nothing is going to happen to you!" Ingeras continued to weep on him, burying his face in his father's chest.

"The Turks took me away!" Ingeras sobbed. "Momma tried to stop them, but...but Papa didn't! Not like he did in real life. I dreamed that he just gave me away!" Vlad's heart shattered into a million pieces. That was exactly what had happened to him when he was his son's age, and why Vlad had gone to desperate measures to keep Ingeras safe, and the other boys in their kingdom. He pulled his son back so he could look him straight in the eyes.

"Ingeras, listen to me." He said seriously. Ingeras's eyes were locked on his father's. "I would _never, ever_ give you up to the likes of them! I swear it with God as my witness, I would never send you to the Turks! That's why I did what I did, so that you wouldn't ever have to go through that. And so that none of your young friends in this kingdom would either!"

"Your father is telling the truth, Ingeras." Mirena said.

"I know." Ingeras nodded, looking at the man he admired and wanted to be like so much. He leaned back on Vlad, hugging his neck. Vlad ran his hand through his son's locks and rocked him back and forth. "But in my dream, it did happen! I didn't know where I was. They took me far away. My friends too. But they were meaner to me than everybody else, because I was your son. They beat us everyday and we had nothing to eat. We were so hungry and it was cold at night." Ingeras shuddered, burying himself even harder into his father. Mirena leaned over and softly kissed his wet face, rubbing her hand through his hair.

"Oh, darling." She sighed sympathetically. "I'm sorry that you dreamed such horrible things."

"Then I grew up," Ingeras continued blubbering. "They taught me to kill. We became an army, and...and they sent us here! And...and..."

Vlad could guess what he dreamed next. "And...your mother and I were the first people they sent you to kill." Vlad finished for his son.

"Is that what happened, Ingeras?" Mirena prodded.

"I'm sorry!" Ingeras sobbed painfully. "I'm sorry! I would never kill you! But in my dream, I...I did! And it didn't bother me!" He wailed heavily. "I'm sorry!"

"Ohhh." Vlad breathed, embracing his only child, trying to offer whatever comfort he could. Mirena crawled to them and wrapped her arms around both of the men she loved with all of her heart. "It's okay, son. It's okay!" Vlad told Ingeras as confidently as he could. "We know that you love us both and would never do anything to hurt us."

"That's right." Mirena nodded with tears streaming down her cheeks, making her ocean blue eyes glisten in the candlelight.

"I'm sorry!" Ingeras continued crying his little heart out. "I don't ever want to kill you! I don't ever want to hurt you!"

"And you never will." Vlad said reassuringly, his own eyes misty too. Vlad and Mirena just sat there together, enclosing their son in their small circle of eternal love. They let him cry hard and even cried with him. This was what they had fought so hard for in the passed week. This was what it was all about. This was what made their tumultuous battle all worthwhile! Their son was safe with them, safe and as precious as ever. And thanks to Vlad destroying his enemies, all the families in the kingdom who had almost had their beloved sons coldly stolen from them could now rest assured that these kind of moments with their children were still theirs for years to come!

It was half an hour before Ingeras even started showing signs of calming down. He had been terribly, emotionally traumatized from his unthinkable nightmare. Sadly, Vlad had lived that nightmare to reality through all his youth. He knew the monstrosity, the blood thirst, the cruelty, the heartlessness, the drive to destroy. He knew what the Turks were capable of ingraining into their victims. He'd lived it, he'd practiced it, he'd tasted it. And that's what had led him to the desperation of looking to a devilish monster for the power to destroy his enemies. Ingeras was a sweet, thoughtful, brave little boy. He didn't deserve that kind of life, NO child did!

Mirena looked at her husband and her child. This moment may have died forever had Vlad not been able to defeat the Turks, or even worse yet, had he not resisted to drink human blood! When she thought of everything dear that she'd come so close to losing, it only furiously fueled her passion to be at her husband's side, her eternal admiration for his tenderness and selflessness, her affection for her son, and her care for her people. All of this had been nearly stripped away from her in the blink of an eye. She inhaled deeply, soaking in the reality that God had spared them and given her husband the strength to resist the darkness that had plagued him so.

"Please don't go yet." Ingeras begged.

"Of course not." Vlad said. "We'll stay with you until you fall asleep. You have nothing to be afraid of."

"Can I sleep with you tonight? _Please?"_ Ingeras pleaded to his parents. Ingeras was a big boy, and hadn't made that request since he was very little. But, considering all that they had been through in the passed week, Vlad and Mirena didn't have the heart to refuse him, not after what had almost happened to their family. Vlad looked questioningly at Mirena. She smiled sweetly and nodded. "Of course." Vlad smiled at Ingeras. The little boy clasped his arms around his father's neck and Vlad scooped him up out of bed. He carried him ever so gently back to the master bedroom.

* * *

Mirena shuffled down underneath the large velvet covers on her side. Vlad carefully set Ingeras down, who curled up next to his mother. Vlad removed his robe and kicked off his boots, then clambered next to his son. Mirena wrapped her arm around Ingeras, the one he was leaning his head on. Vlad soothingly rubbed his son's arm as Mirena stroked his hair. "You're safe, Ingeras." Mirena whispered. "We love you and nothing is going to happen to you."

"We're together." Vlad added. "Just like we always should be." Ingeras's breathing had gradually become even and he was much calmer. He loved the smell of his mother's hair, it always made him feel better. His parents were his whole world. Without them he would be lost. He loved his mother dearly, and loved to pretend to 'rescue' her from the 'bad guys' as the 'damsel in distress'. But Ingeras absolutely adored his father. Vlad was kind, strong, affectionate, rugged, and devoted. And very brave. When he grew up, Ingeras wanted to be just like him. Their close presence warmed his soul like nothing else on earth could.

"I love you, Momma." Ingeras said. Mirena smiled at him and kissed his head.

"And I love you, my young prince. You go to sleep now." She said. Vlad leaned over and kissed his son's head.

"Rest well, my big soldier." He said softly. Ordinarily, the prince and his princess would feel so intruded on, not being able to cuddle in private like they preferred to do before going to sleep-especially with Ingeras closing in the gap between them in the bed right now-. But this time was a valid exception. They'd all come very close to losing each other, in the battle against the Turks, and though they were trying to get back into the normal routine of life, they would do anything to assure their precious boy that he was safe and loved. This one night, they could forgo it...at least until Ingeras was asleep!

* * *

In a short time, Ingeras was fast asleep. He was out. Mirena grimaced a little as she tried to shift her numb arm out from under her son's head, but it stung and tingled. Vlad watched out of the corner of his eye. He grinned, snickering. Mirena squinted at him. "Is that any way to treat the queen of Transylvania?" She huffed in a whisper.

Vlad arched his eyebrows casually. "A mother's work is never done." He commented, wagging his head. Mirena blew out a breath. Apparently, he was not going to help her. She grunted and managed to slip her arm out from under Ingeras, whose head just dropped into the soft pillow.

"Aah!" Mirena gasped, wringing her arm, trying to get the circulation back in it. "Thank you for the assistance." She told Vlad sarcastically.

"No trouble." Vlad shrugged. Mirena leaned on her back and crossed her arms. "I had something better in mind." Vlad said slowly in a very sultry voice.

"What could be more chivalrous than helping your wife? Hmm?" Mirena quietly joked. She knew what he was up to.

" _This."_ Vlad whispered. Sitting up, he hovered over Ingeras trying not to squish him, stretching over to his wife. He leaned his head down and kissed her lips.

"Mmm." Mirena smiled warmly, returning the kiss. "You're right. This _is_ better!" She whispered. Vlad chuckled deeply and nuzzled his nose under her neck. "Vlad!" She protested.

"Shh!" Vlad held his fingers to his mouth. "You'll wake Ingeras."

"If you don't stop, you'll be sleeping on the floor tonight." Mirena teased.

"Aah. It'd be worth it, just to know it was because of you." Vlad rumbled. He wouldn't stop kissing her neck. Mirena laughed, trying not to wake their son, but relishing in the closeness of her husband, after almost losing him to an eternity as a vampire. He continued to cuddle with his wife.

"...Apa...apa..." Ingeras moaned in his sleep. "You're elbowing me." Vlad didn't realize that he was jabbing his son in the side. Vlad froze and sat up, biting his lip in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, son." He apologized quickly. Ingeras groaned and turned on his stomach, burying his head in the pillow.

Mirena turned on her side, reached out her hand and gripped Vlad's arm, tugging him back toward her. "Thank you..." She said fondly, "for giving me back my family."

* * *

 **Hope you liked it.**


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